ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Nov 12, 2009 20:11:01 GMT
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Well I've been sent outside to do my spraying now as the big workshop is full of truck. Wednesday started with a quick degrease of the wheels, last time I'd just put the resin rustproofer on, so this has now set ready for the first coat of paint. I used U-pol acid #8 etch primer to start, mostly because I could get it locally, it cost a little more but I could have it there and then so: Midway between coats, the wheels on the right have etch primer on, the wheels on the left have a quick coat of "trade spray" white primer. Normal primer leaves a lot smoother finish than etch primer, so there is 2 coats of white primer laid on before the next stage: The next stage is grey primer from halfords, as an aside note, this was the easiest to paint with, the flow was a lot wider and easier to control, so I'll be going back to them for more. I decided to try the topcoat on this wheel first as this is to be the spare, it's got a flat spot on it so it'll be emergency use only. I'm hoping the colour covers up the fact that the wheels are in pretty rough shape. Under close inspection, a lot of the results of the corrosion are evident in the recesses of the wheels: But standing back, they don't look half bad!
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Nov 13, 2009 12:47:35 GMT
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The BX steelies will just rock on your car.
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194? Willys Jeep MB 1965 Volvo 544 Special 1968 Opel Rekord 1975 Opel Kadett Estate 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E 1985 Datsun 720 King Cab 4x4 diesel 1997 Volvo S70 2.5SE (ex. "Volvo544special65" - changed to more reader friendly username. )
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Nov 13, 2009 17:13:53 GMT
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The BX steelies will just rock on your car. +1 Get them on!
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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Nov 13, 2009 21:49:43 GMT
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I'm also loving this project. I had an ax as my first car and loved it to bits. I sadly scrapped it as it needed a new windscreen and exhaust and wasnt worth as much as the parts and time, regret regret regret!! Mine was red and i painted the wheels white with red spirals. I shall own another someday.
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Nov 13, 2009 21:53:14 GMT
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well the good news is, I bagged a full set of 5 175/60 14 toyos for £80, one is brand new, 2 still have the nobbles on and the fronts have seen a little track action but still have 6mm on.
I just need a dog blanket to chuck on the rear bench, and so hiding the fact I've vtr front seats.
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Dom
Part of things
Limey
Posts: 617
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Nov 13, 2009 22:03:44 GMT
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Very nice. I'm hoping to buy one of these tomorrow if the seller accepts my offer. An 89 1L E 5-door, emerald green with a lovely brown interior.
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Those wheels look spot on. I love how this build is shaping up - nice subtle mods, and power to back it all up. Plus at first glance it'll look like any other old giffer-spec AX. Quality! ;D
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Nov 15, 2009 15:43:12 GMT
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Got a bit more done today, but the ground under the smurf is damp at the moment so I wasn't to keen to spend too long crawling around under it. The new exhaust finally made an appearance last week, it turned up without any of the clamps or bushes which is one thing that really pisses me off when buying such things. The funny thing is, I'd already owned this exact exaust once before when I bought a car with it on, I scrapped the car and sold the exhaust about 2 years ago, yet it's made it's way home. Huh! Lucky for me I found a set of bushes and clamps in my hordes of curse word in the garage, so I decided to put the new exhaust on and try it for fit. Its not as subtle as I'd have liked but its better than the original intented exhaust. Also the steering wheel I bought from Dez arrived too, its a bit of a grubby old thing, but I thought I'd chuck it on anyhow. Lastly for today, the vts clocks I fitted last week haven't made the trip it would appear as it lights up like a german disco in all the wrong ways. balderdash!
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Last Edit: Nov 15, 2009 15:51:04 GMT by ruffgeezer
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Nov 15, 2009 15:50:12 GMT
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Oh, just one more thing:
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Nov 21, 2009 15:30:57 GMT
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Well the wheels are done, they aren't perfect but they took 2 hours a side in the blast cabinet so it's hardly surprising! It's taken a little over 2 weeks of lunchtimes to get the wheels prepped, primed and painted, along with a couple of coats of laquer. I then dropped them and the tyres off to be built and balanced. Last night the boot of the luxury disaster-bus mk3 (tm) looked a little like this: I hope to finish smurf's brakes and perhaps chuck the front arb on tomorrow and then fit the new shoes.
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Dom
Part of things
Limey
Posts: 617
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Nov 22, 2009 15:58:11 GMT
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They're gonna look great! I fancy getting some viking rims, or the GT ones. Painted black, maybe white. That whole car is 200e for parts.
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Nov 22, 2009 17:09:18 GMT
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Thats not a bad price for france really, those wheels are quite rare now although some goon over here has some on ebay for a nipsy stinging £150 the set!
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Nov 22, 2009 19:39:39 GMT
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Well given that the gods of the weather have provided another dryish sunday, I thought I'd better get stuck in to some of the enivitable boring shi t jobs that any conversion brings up. First up was to fire up the smurf and see if she'd move under her own power, there was a lot of squeaking from the rear end as I still don't have any rear shocks and the tyre/wheel combo is causing some headaches. None the less, the car is soon on the flat and work commences: Boring job 1 was to finish plumbing the brakes in, if you have read from the start, you'll remember that I -uh- had issues with the old brake line and made a new one for this side, so easy to throw the new line on and bolt it up to the calliper; job done. Now you'll remember that the smurf has a penchant for being parked up against things which made life difficult when doing certain jobs, so when I pulled the car out today, a reminder of the chav-look of old showed up, I'd completly forgotten about the skirts! Not to worry, a few screws and some brute force soon have that away, but I'm also reminded that the door handle is busted and needs replacing too. Cocks! Next on the jobs I'd really rather have not had to do was to somehow squeeze an antiroll bar under the front. Now as I'm a lazy git, I tried my best to fit the arb in without dropping the front arms. To cut a long story short, I got the little sod well and truely stuck, so I had to lift the carpets and drop the back of the LH front arm to get it in, a few taps with a lump hammer and she's home. I just need a tap to clean out the rusted up holes in the arms where the arb clamps need to er, clamp. I'm a firm believer in finishing a dull job by treating myself, so I thought I'd put the new wheels on the "finished" side, there is still work to do here, but I felt it important to check the fit of the new wheel/tyre combo. I tried the AA badge on for size, I wasn't convinced and nor was it, my cobbled up mounts fell off a few minutes later! Whilst pulling the carpet about to allow access to the lower arm bolts, I discovered it was wet, very very wet. After a bbit of a poke at the usual suspects, I discovered that the previous owner had made a hooje hole for presumably a power cable, then taken the cable out and left the chuffing great hole open to the elements. I need to plug this up and quick. No, not man jam, this is a result of the leaky, mould. Lots and lots of mould. Progess; I has it. After having worked solidly for 5 hours, I decided to call it a day. Jobs covered but not pictured were the fitting of the air filter, painting and replacement of the LH front door handle, replacement of the LH door cards with the '88 spec'd ones, removal of the old handbrake cables, replacement a broken rear light, refitting of the LHF wing as it was fouling the door, oh and I thought about fitting the rad again, but I need to break out the angle grinder for that. After all that, I put the smurf away for the night. Ghost dad shuts the gates to keep the smurf in at night Finally in the warmth of my own home, I had a little play with HDR, Tiltshift and Photoshop, but it turns out I'm not so hot with that either!
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Neil
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,485
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Nov 22, 2009 20:43:50 GMT
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Brilliant - i love this thread!
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Dom
Part of things
Limey
Posts: 617
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Nov 22, 2009 22:30:53 GMT
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Busy busy. Those wheels have a nice hue. The car equivalent of blue suede shoes.
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Dec 13, 2009 22:30:21 GMT
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Been a while since I've had time to update you all on this, so here goes: The nice people at goodridge were kind enough to replace a duff braided hose which meant last weekend I could finish the brakes at last, however this was not to be as one of the rear cylinders had a blockage internally... balls! As an aside, I tried a bit of light painting with the car, but there is too much artificial light for the effect to work as I'd like: Behold the magical floating ax! Or rather, the wheels are still off because of that sodding cylinder. I've also taken the steering arm to work to put a new trackrod end on. Round the front and Mr. Grinder paid a visit to the slam panel to allow a saxo radiator to be fitted, this meant taking the front off again, so I hurriedly primed and painted the front panel in a similar hue to the body, just the hoses to attach before I fill the system now then. More parcels arrived this week too, this is a single exit backbox which will tone the look down even more I hope.
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Last Edit: Dec 13, 2009 22:31:32 GMT by ruffgeezer
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Dec 13, 2009 22:37:47 GMT
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I really like this project, glad to see it's coming along nicely. I know what you mean about boring jobs - I've spent the whole weekend just shifting the engine about by tiny little amounts, just to get it lined up properly.
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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I've had someone making offers on my unfinished ax vts, it owes me about £1500 and I offered it out at 950, which I thought was fair, but he's not offering enough, so we'll see how that plays out, as with most things lifewise at the moment I'm boxed in going nowhere fast. Progress on the Smurf is something that draws me along.
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It'd be a shame to do all the donkey work just to let someone else finish and enjoy it, in my opinion! Imagining actually driving my car again is about the only thing keeping me going on it at the minute! ;D
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ruffgeezer
Posted a lot
Attracts french tat.
Posts: 1,252
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Well I've nearly got the smurf done, and to be honest I can't imagine having the need for it, the ax vts, the xantia and potentially a 4x4 for the winter months too, something has to give sometime.
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